Starting Over
by GearsGirl6295
Summary: This story takes place 5 years after Gears of War 3, following the gears as they rebuild and start a new life. (It's mainly focusing on Baird and Sam right now, but Marcus and Anya, Cole, Carmine and others will be in it as well.)
1. Chapter 1

Samantha Byrne gasped loudly, both eyes shooting open at once. She looked around her bedroom, eyes focusing on the clock above the closet door. 4:07 am. She placed a hand on her forehead, which was moist with icy sweat.

"Sam? What's wrong sweetheart?" Damon Baird whispered groggily. Her movement had woken him, and his eyes fluttered open to find her panting, one hand covering her eyes. He squeezed her other hand, which was shaking violently. Sam jumped at the unexpected contact, pulling away as if she didn't recognize him for a second. He looked into her frightened eyes, and then glanced at her slightly protruding stomach.

"Are you ok?" he asked, a bit frightened himself as he reached over to touch her belly. Sam blinked away the tears forming in her tired eyes as she answered, voice hushed.  
"Yeah, sorry. Just…a bad dream." She got out from under the covers and sat on the edge of the bed huddling closer into her sheer nightgown, her hands resting across her growing bump.

Baird sat up, completely awake now. "You want to talk about it?" he asked, whispering. The brunette shook her head, not bothering to turn around. She sat very still before her shoulders slumped and soft sobs past her lips.  
"Hey…it's alright." Baird quietly made his way across the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was…running; there were explosions and…and gunfire….I tried to save them but…" she stammered, choking back sobs. "You were right there. I almost made it…there was…so much blood and…God, I'm sorry." She looked at the floor, ashamed.

Baird shook his head quickly, dismissing her unnecessary apology as he put his hand under her chin, making her meet his gaze. Her weary face was stained with tears.  
"Everything's going to be fine now. I'm not going anywhere. I promised, remember?" He gently touched the gold band around her finger with a tender smile. She nodded, sniffling as he pushed the hair out of her face.

Baird hugged her and kissed her neck before motioning to leave. "I'll make some tea. Would you like that?" She held his massive hand in hers tightly.  
"No, Damon. Please…don't go," She half whispered, still shaken. Baird frowned with pity, and then crawled back into bed, lifting the covers for them both. He pulled the thick blanket over her shoulders as she leaned against his bare chest with an uneven sigh. Baird draped his arm around her waist and rubbed her back as her soft sniffling quieted down.

His heart ached each time he awoke to her like this. Up until recently, he'd never really known how lucky he was to be able to sleep soundly every night. He was worried about her. The war had been over for five years now, but she was still having nightmares. And now, with a baby on the way, he needed to make sure she was healthy.

After a bit, as he heard her slowly drift back to sleep, he carefully placed his hand on her stomach with a sigh. She was four months along now, but Baird was still having trouble adjusting. The pregnancy had been completely unexpected, (Mother Nature always had a way of pulling the rug out from beneath him) so when Sam had told him he was going to be a father, saying he was completely and utterly flabbergasted was an understatement. Of course he was happy, and ridiculously proud, but when he saw her lacking sleep, his fear outweighed his joy. She'd laugh at his troubled expression each time she'd sigh or have to sit down, but he wasn't taking any chances. He loved her with his whole heart, and took the job of caring for her very seriously. He wasn't sure how, but he was determined to make sure everything went smoothly, for her sake as well as his own. The very thought of anything happening to her made him hold her a bit tighter.

The mechanic kissed her head as he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sam's eyes fluttered open as she awoke to the smell of something delicious cooking. She moaned softly, stretching as she spied the other half of the bed empty. She slowly sat up, taking a deep breath of the cinnamon scented air as she glanced at the clock, which read 10:24am.  
"Bloody hell…" she groaned, realized she'd overslept again. It's not like she had anywhere to be, but after years of rising with the sun, sleeping late just felt wrong.

She stood up and tiptoed into the bathroom, knowing what her husband was up to in their small kitchen downstairs. She started to close the door, but once it creaked slightly, she decided to leave it half-way opened. She didn't want to disturb Baird; she knew if he heard her, he'd stop what he was doing to check in on her, as he did every morning.

Sam looked at herself in the mirror and her body slumped a little when she immediately noticed her eyes, red and slightly swollen. She quickly grabbed a clean wash cloth from the cabinet and soaked it in cold water, placing it on her eyes. She'd never wanted anyone to see her in such a pitiful state. She fixed her hair, smoothed her night gown, trying desperately to make herself look presentable. Just then, Baird entered the bedroom near silently, save for the dishes clinking on the tray.

"Sam?" he asked quietly as she exited the bathroom.  
"Hey," she said shyly. He smiled at her, and seemed to relax a bit as she smiled back.

"What's all this for?" Sam asked softly, looking at the tray in Baird's hands.  
"For you," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. She climbed into bed, and Baird placed the tray of food on her lap. There were cinnamon pancakes with maple syrup (her favorite) along with fruit, orange juice, a small cup of coffee, and one of the vitamins her doctor had given her during her check-up last week.

Sam was speechless as she looked at the strawberry slice on top of the pancakes, cut in the shape of a heart. "Oh, Damon…this is so nice," she said as he climbed into bed next to her after removing his royal blue robe from his shoulders. "I know," he said smugly; a playful grin on his face as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Made with extra love," he added with a genuine smile.

"I don't even want to eat it, it's so pretty" she cooed, and Baird smirked, before he stuck his bottom lip out in a mock pout. "But I made it special," he said, giving her his best puppy eyes. She giggled, and then spoke genuinely.

"Thank you," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "How long did this take you anyway? Aren't you tired? I know…You couldn't have slept well last night…" she added, frowning.

"You're very welcome, and don't worry about it." he said as he squeezed her hand back. His smile faded a bit as he continued. "You're the one who needs sleep." He glanced at her stomach before mustering a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "Just eat before it gets cold. That's my world famous coffee right there."

As Sam took a bite of the pancakes, she noticed Baird watching her through the corner of his eye as he pretended to sleep. "How is it?" he asked, sounding a bit nervous. He'd never really thought cooking was his thing. But Sam just closed her eyes and moaned softly as she chewed, and that was all the answer he needed. He smiled contently and laced his fingers behind his neck, exhaling deeply through his nose.

"Really yummy…" she muttered, taking another bite of the sticky sweet goodness.  
"I'm glad…" he breathed, shifting is bare back against the sheets as he settled in.

"Don't you want some?" Sam asked as she sipped her coffee, which was just slightly sweet with lots of cream; just how she liked it.  
"Mm-mm…" Baird mumbled. "You eat, sweetie." Sam wasn't about to argue; she was pretty hungry. She was eating for two, after all.

She finished up, and Baird got up from his spot and removed the tray from her lap.  
"Why are you so good to me…?" Sam whispered as he placed the dishes on the nightstand. He looked into her deep brown eyes to see they were glossy. The blonde leaned in and kissed her lips, sweet with maple syrup.  
"Because you're my wife, and I love you," he answered simply. She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.

"You know, I remember a time when you said you didn't," she managed between kisses. Baird stood still for a second, confused. "You really, REALLY didn't," the brunette said, eyebrows raised as she imitated her husband's voice. Baird's cheeks flushed slightly as he struggled for words, recalling their past squabbles.

"I lied," he said finally, a goofy smile crossing his lips. Sam shrugged. "Good enough," and pulled him into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Marcus Fenix leaned against in the doorway of the balcony; arms folded tightly across his bare chest, eyes fixed somewhere in the distance. The dark haired gear still had his faded jeans on; he'd begun to get ready for bed, but had stopped midway as if his thoughts had taken over completely.

"Marcus? Are you alright?" Anya Stroud asked; her voice as gentle as the cool evening breeze fluttering past their bedroom curtains. He was in one of those trances again; that "Marcus-stare" that seemed to cut him off from the rest of the world, even his own wife.

They'd been married for almost four years now, having tied the knot secretly once things finally simmered down. It's not like their friends didn't know what was going on between them, (They'd begun living together the day the war ended) but still, Anya in particular thought it would be best to have their privacy for a while.

The two had decided to call Azura home, living comfortably in one of the posh hotel sweets overlooking the little island and its inhabitants, who'd done a pretty nice job of making the surrounding area "normal" again. In the past five years, they'd restored the running water and electricity, (solar panel and wind energy was working pretty well, all things considered) built homes, a small medical facility (run mainly by COG field medics, although some civvies with experience worked as doctors and nurses too) and even a couple of shops and a bar.

After the COG had shipped some willing Stranded onto the island in an attempt to "reconcile past disagreements", a school had been built for the growing number of children living there as well. Jace Stratton had happily volunteered to help out wherever he could, and was now teaching the first grade class.

As nice as it was, there was still work to be done.

Anya was worried about Marcus. She knew he was pre-occupied with something; he seemed a bit more tense then usual all day, but he'd not breathed a word of his stress to anyone. This behavior was typical, but still bothersome to the blonde gear. Even after living with him for five years, getting Marcus to tell her what was on his mind was still difficult. It's not that he didn't trust her; she knew in her heart that he did, but old habits really are hard to break.

She stood in the bathroom door waiting for a reply as she dried her hair with a towel, slipping on one of his tee-shirts. By the tone of his soft grunt, she had a feeling she wasn't going to get anything out of him tonight.

Her bare feet padded across the carpet near silently as she made her way towards his silhouette; the room completely dark aside from the moonlight pouring in through the balcony doors. Anya wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her damp head against his back, not saying a word.

She'd come to realize with Marcus, it was usually what you didn't say that mattered the most.

She felt his tense frame relax almost instantly as her soft skin touched his body.

"Are you happy Anya?" Marcus spoke suddenly, his tone gravelly as always.

"Of course I am Marcus. I'm with you," she replied softly, holding him tight in her arms. He was quiet for a bit, as if he were giving those words a chance to sink in. He took hold of her hands, and rubbed them gently; still gazing out at the ocean, which was alight with the stars and the moon's soft glow.

He took a deep breath of the salty are before speaking again, tone even lower. "What would I have done if I lost you? You're all I have left…"

Anya felt a pang of sadness in her chest as his voice trailed off. Even after all this time, he'd never truly been able to cope with the losses he'd experienced. He'd witnessed the death of the man he considered his brother, then his father shortly after. She'd done everything she could do to ease his pain, but deep in her heart she knew there are some hurts that never really go away.

The soft-spoken gear gently kissed his bare back, each touch of her lips softer then the last. "Marcus, please don't do that…We're together now…" she murmured. He turned around suddenly, towering over his wife's petite frame as his icy blue eyes scanned her beautiful face.

"Anya, I want you to know that I love you. I don't say it enough. You deserve better…"

Anya frowned with pity as she looked up at his scarred face. She opened her mouth to say something, but before the words could come, he kissed her lips, pulling her close against his body.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear as they eased themselves into bed.

Marcus was awakened later that night, the thoughts of people and places of the past causing him to stir in his sleep. He felt Anya shift against the sheets as he turned on his side, feeling guilty for waking her. He wrapped his arm around the blonde, and gently pulled her bare back against his chest. He heard her moan softly as he buried his face in her light golden hair.

"Marcus?" she whispered sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"Just…stay with me, always. I need you too, you know…"

The massive gear smiled and kissed her neck.

"You got it…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Damon…Damon, quit it…" Sam moaned sleepily as the blonde began kissing her neck. "I have a condition," she cradled her steadily swelling stomach. "And it's late," she whined, burying her face in her pillow to conceal her grin.

"Yeah, yeah…" Baird muttered, ignoring her complaints. He stroked her arms playfully as Sam nudged him away.

"We're meeting Anya and Marcus tomorrow," she yawned. "Cole and Claire too, remember?" She hugged her pillow closer. "Go to sleep…" she grumbled before Baird tickled her neck, causing her to scrunch into a ball, letting out a hushed squeal. The brunette rolled over to face him.

"You're unbelievable," she chuckled with mock disgust.

"Oops" Baird said in reply as he leaned over her with his signature smart-ass grin. She glared at him as he shrugged innocently before he kissed her lips gently. Sam made sure to roll her eyes as she returned the kiss.

After pulling back, Baird began massaging Sam's shoulders and back and the brunette let out a soft sigh.

"That's better," she breathed, settling into the warm blankets. Baird chuckled as he worked his strong hands into her shoulder muscles. Sam moaned softly, smiling as the tension left her body. He'd become something of a master masseuse during her pregnancy, knowing all the right places to make her tired body feel better, namely her back, which was aching more often in recent days.

"Damon?" Sam spoke after a while, her voice a whisper as she gazed out the window.

"Hmm?" Baird mumbled, focused on the task at hand.

"I was thinking, maybe we should start discussing names for the baby."

She turned her head to glance at her husband, who'd finished her massage and reached for her hand. He rubbed it in his before kissing it. "What did you have in mind?"

Sam turned her body to face him once more. "Well," she began, suddenly more awake. Baird took notice of this and leaned in to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Sam smirked, but continued. "I know we don't know what it's going to be yet," she placed a hand on her bump involuntarily, as she always did whenever anyone mentioned their baby. "So I thought of a few names for boys and girls." Baird silently told her he was all ears as he gently petted her stomach.

"How about Sophia?" she asked.

"I like that," Baird replied, clearly distracted as he stroked her hair.

"Well, how about Miranda?" Sam asked, refusing to give up.

"That's pretty," Baird muttered, "but what if it's a boy?"

Sam thought for a moment, thankful he was at least attempting to contribute to the conversation. "Well, I like Jonathan…" she squinted as she spoke. "What about you?" Sam asked, waiting for input. Baird was silent for two seconds before "Damon Jr." pasted his lips.

"Really? How long did it take you to come up with that?" Sam asked flatly, her voice dripping with sarcasm despite her smile. Baird raised his eyebrows, grinning.

"What? It's a handsome name. Sounds intelligent too. Fits me pretty well, that's for sure."

Sam patted his hand. "I think you're giving yourself a little too much credit darling," she whispered sweetly as Baird arched a brow, pretending to be wounded. "I just think we should come up with unique names, that's all," she added genuinely.

"Fine," he mumbled, still wearing his playful pout.

"What if it's a girl?" Sam spoke again. "You haven't given me any suggestions yet."

Baird thought for a moment before cracking a smile. "Samantha Jr."

"Oh come on, you're not even trying!" Sam cried, trying to sound angry as she punched his arm. "That doesn't even make sense." She elbowed him in the ribs as he giggled at his own joke. "It's not funny…"

"Ok, ok." Baird tried to be serious. "So no Sam Jr.?"

Sam shook her head.

"And no Damon Jr.?"

"I'll think about it" Sam's sarcasm was clear.

"Well, I'm all out of ideas then," Baird said finally, doing all he could to look stumped.

Sam laughed, shaking her head against the pillows as she resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get anywhere tonight. It bothered her a bit when Baird avoided the baby topics, which he tended to do more often as of late, but decided to leave it alone. _He probably doesn't mean anything by it,_ she'd thought to herself. _He just likes being a pain in the ass._

"I'm telling you though, I think Damon Jr. is a winner," Baird spoke up, interrupting Sam's thoughts.

"Lets just keep an opened mind, ok? Besides," Sam moved in closer to him. "I like calling you Damon." She stroked his cheek, tracing the curve of his jaw with her fingertips. "Only you."

"Well, I am one of a kind, aren't I?" He said with a smirk, once again managing to flatter himself. But Sam let him have his fun.

"That's why I love you," she replied genuinely, her voice a soft whisper. Baird smiled, wrapping his arm around Sam as she leaned in for a kiss.

**Yay, an update! :D I'll explain more about Claire and the others in further chapters. **


	4. Chapter 4

Cole smiled as he looked at the bright red schoolhouse doors, the early morning sun reflecting off of the shiny brass doorknobs. Even after the time that had passed, the ex-thrashball star found himself questioning if it was all real. He glanced around at the families who smiled at the Cole Train as they passed by, living their lives as though there had never been a fifteen year war.

A lot had changed in just five years, he thought. Even in his perpetually optimistic state of mind, Cole was still amazed to see what they'd achieved. It seemed as though it was just yesterday that they were fighting tooth and nail every day just to survive.

"Gus?" Claire Summers touched Cole's right bicep the second he shut the doors behind him, causing the massive gear to turn, bringing him back to the present. The petite, raven haired woman had her arms crossed over her chest, her copper-penny eyes mirroring concern. Her brow was furrowed, and his rose expectantly.

"What's the matter baby?"

"We're having a bit of a problem. The lights in the classroom, a couple of them actually, keep flickering, on and off. And now they won't go back on at all." Cole's expression contorted with confusion, and Claire shrugged.

"I have no idea what's going on. The rest of the building has electricity, so it's not an outage. But when I opened the doors half an hour ago, I hit the switch and, nothing."

"And the kids are scared." She added helplessly before rubbing her temples in a circular motion, the way she always did when she was distressed. "Just so happens it has to go pitch dark in a room filled with five and six year-olds," she mumbled, shaking her head.

Cole smiled warmly, taking her hand. He knew how much she cared about her class. She took care of each child as if they were her own.

"I'll take care of it, don't you worry. Why don't you get Jace to take the kids outside to play? The Cole Train will have everything up and runnin' again in no time."

Claire chuckled, but her expression seemed hesitant.

"Oh, I don't know. We were supposed to work on their arithmetic this morning…"

"Aww, but it's really nice out," Cole persisted. "I bet the little guys would love it if they got to go to recess early. And besides," the massive gear's eyes sparkled somewhat mischievously, "you're supposed to be the fun teacher right?"

Claire giggled at that, a sound Cole couldn't get enough of. "Well, if you put it that way, it does sound like a nice idea," she relented with a smile. Claire gave him a hug, which he returned.

"Thanks a bunch sweetheart."

"No trouble at all baby. You get the kiddos together, and I'll wait for ya outside. I know just the man for the job."

* * *

Claire knew right away who he meant and instinctively rolled her eyes with a grin before returning to her class, instructing them to line up, single file.

"Remind me again why I'm coming with you?" Baird asked with a glare. Cole could tell he was trying really hard to look put off at his request. Baird loved fixing things. All the time. But he also liked to play hard-to-get. The ex-thrashball star cocked his brow.

"Oh come on baby, don't tell me you were having more fun shopping with Sam." Cole had seen the glazed look in Baird's eye when he located him in the middle of the clothing store, carrying several items as Sam browsed. "Looked like that was going well," he quipped with a grin. Baird snorted.

"Oh God," he muttered, shaking his head. "Damon, does this make me look fat? How does this look Damon? Do you like these Damon? _Why_ do you like these Damon?" Baird imitated Sam's voice as he recounted her unbearable chatter as they shopped for something "decent" for her to wear later that night. Cole mimed shock at his tone, and Baird immediately became defensive.

"Hey man, don't get me wrong. I love shopping _for _her, just not _with _her. That's girlfriend stuff—thanks for letting her borrow Claire, by the way." Cole nodded. Sam and Claire had grown pretty close, considering their men were something of best friends. It was only natural for the two to spend time together, and they'd caught on pretty well. Plus, Cole was happy to see Claire take a well deserved break from her teaching duties. He reminded himself to thank Jace for taking her shift.

"Besides," Baird threw his hands up, back to rant mode. "How am I supposed to answer those questions anyway? Women don't want your honest opinions about the way they look, no matter how much they say so. And I tell her how beautiful she looks all the time, but she doesn't believe me. She thinks I'm just being agreeable." Baird let out an exhausted sigh. Yeah, he needed something to fix. Anything. Now.

"Ok, ok, I get it," Cole raised his hands, palms out. "Just chill out, ok?" he added, chuckling. Baird rolled his eyes with a "yeah, yeah…"

Cole led his friend down the flights of stairs leading to the school's basement, locating the fuse box behind a few crates of supplies. Baird opened the doors, and the second his eyes fell on the heap of metal and wires entangled inside, his face brightened, his entire body relaxing. Cole grinned.

"So how are things with Claire?" Baird asked casually, going through his tools. His voice was completely free of stress now.

"Wonderful Damon," Cole responded, his tone almost dreamy. He paused for a moment before adding "She's the one."

Baird turned from his work, brows raised. "You serious?" he asked with a smile. Cole nodded.

"I'm telling you baby, there's something special about her, y'know?" Baird noticed the sparkle in his friend's eye. "I love her more than anything."

"Even more than me, huh?" The mechanic quipped, shaking his head. He couldn't resist. Cole bellowed with laughter and slapped him on the back.

"Now baby, you know there's no one on Sera who could replace you."

"Damn right," Baird snickered, returning to work. "Seriously though, I'm really happy for you, man." Cole smiled, tempted to hug the blond, but restrained himself.

"Thanks Damon."

They chattered a bit as Baird worked, aiming his miniature flashlight through dust-covered clumps of wire, his brow knitted tightly as he concentrated. But after a little while, Cole noticed Baird had stopped listening to him.

"What is it?" he asked, taking a step closer to Baird's seat.

Baird didn't answer. He leaned into his work, grabbing a wire between his first two fingers. It was cut in half, frayed at the edges. His expression screwed up with confusion, and he reached deeper into the fuse box, pushing passed the outer most of its internal hardware before grabbing a handful of frayed wiring.

"What the—" was all he got out before falling out of his seat, managing some interesting noises as something scurried across the floor.

"What the hell?!—" Baird gasped, scrambling over the dusty floor as Cole completely lost it. He was still laughing hysterically as Baird picked himself up, wiping a hand over the seat of his cargos.

"Yeah, real funny Cole," he sneered, cheeks already pink. "Where the hell did that thing go anyway?"

"It was just a mouse, baby!" Cole wiped at his eye. "Man, you shoulda seen your face…"

"Did you see where it went, or not?" Baird was growing agitated. "Because that's what's screwing up the lights." He peered into the fuse box again with renewed caution, eyeing the lump of dust and old wiring where the little creature had made its 'home.'

"How the hell did that thing not get electrocuted anyway..." Baird muttered before stopping dead in his tracks. "Oh, crap…Cole, come here and look at this."

Cole glanced over Baird's shoulder and raised his eyebrows. In the mouse's nest were six or seven baby mice, still pink and hairless. Cole made an 'awwwwww' sound, but Baird had already turned around with a long sigh.

"Well this is just perfect," he groaned. "Now the place with be crawling with these vermin."

"Aw Baird, have a heart," Cole cooed. "They need a home too."

"Yeah, and we need electricity," Baird countered. "Where'd the bigger one go?" He searched the floor, leaving Cole staring at the little nest. He glanced over his shoulder at the blond, who'd stooped down in the far corner.

"What'd you find baby?"

"I guess I found mom," he answered, his voice softer than before. Cole went over to see the little grey mouse lying on the floor, seemingly unwilling to move. Baird poked at it gently with the handle of his screwdriver, but it didn't even try to run.

"What's wrong with it?" Baird mumbled, actually managing to sound concerned. It suddenly tried to get up, but favored its back leg and lay back down.

"It'd might've gotten hurt when it fell from the box," Cole suggested. "It's pretty high up."

Baird's face took on a bit of sympathy as he turned around, still crouched. "Now I kinda feel bad killing it. Would've been pretty useful in the lab…"

"Sorry things didn't work out like you planned Damon," Cole shook his head. Baird raised his brows, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

"What? It's true." Cole ignored him, taking one of Baird's gloves from his tool belt.

"You don't have to kill it man, I'll do it," Baird offered. He was being genuine, but Cole still shot him a look.

"We're not gonna kill it! It's got a family." Cole sounded shocked at Baird's cruelty.

"A what?"

"If you kill the mom, the babies will die."

"Yeah…and?"

Cole huffed. "Man Damon, you're just all heart."

"Well what do you plan on doing, nurse it back to health?" Baird shot back, crossing his arms as Cole scooped up the injured creature into his palm.

"Exactly," Cole answered simply. Baird's mouth hung open as if to say '_are you serious?'_

"We can't just leave em' here. Besides, the little kids will love having a class pet! And look how cute she is…" Cole sounded so enthused that Baird was forced to relent. He let out another forceful sigh, turning away.

"Ok, ok, fine. As long as they can't chew anymore wires, I don't give a shit. What do I give a shit?..." He faced Cole again, pointing his finger at him. "But the next time an army of those things decides to screw with the building's interior, don't come crying to me."

Cole chuckled. "Fair enough."

**More on Cole and Claire, as well as the rest of the gang to come :)**


End file.
